Northern Vietnam for Nature Lovers

Welcome to Hanoi! As you arrive at the airport, your personal driver will be ready to take you to your hotel. Get ready to immerse yourself in the rich culture and vibrant atmosphere of this captivating city.

8.30 Leave the hotel early on a full-day private tour / group tour (depend on your budget) to see Hanoi's historic landmarks and experience the city like a local. It starts with a ride to historic Ba Dinh Square, where President Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of Vietnam in 1945. Then head over to Lenin Garden, a park presided over by a bronze statue of Vladimir Lenin. This is an excellent place to people watch, as the area is a popular local hangout.

From there, your guide will lead you down Hanoi's alleyways, lined with family-owned shops that have been around for generations. Continue to the 11th-century Temple of Literature, an impressive architectural landmark that was Vietnam's first-ever national university. To this day, students still pray at its altars for academic success. Next is the Museum of Ethnology, which preserves the cultural heritage of the 54 different ethnic groups in Vietnam. Afterward, stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

Now that you've refueled, continue to Hanoi's charming Old Quarter to explore its warren of backstreets. This will lead to Nha Chung Street, an area with food stalls and vendors. Here, you'll visit a historic French colonial home for afternoon tea. Your host has lived in the neighborhood all his life and has many stories about this remarkable city and its past. Finally, end the day with one of Vietnam's more unique theatrical performances: a water puppet show. This cultural expression dates back over 1,000 years, originating in the Red River Delta rice fields. Afterward, return to your hotel.

Wake up early to ensure you have sufficient time to enjoy the your breakfast. At 7am, meet your driver in the lobby and leave Hanoi on a six-hour ride north to Sapa. This highland area is known for its soaring mountains and endless terraces of green rice paddies. It's also home to traditional villages whose residents are members of various ethnic tribes in Vietnam.

Once in Sapa, you'll head over to Topas Ecolodge, the boutique resort where you'll spend the next two nights. Perched on a hillside overlooking the breathtaking Hoang Lien Son range, each of its well-appointed suites and bungalows offers prime mountain views. When you arrive, feel free to relax on the terrace bar with a coffee or cocktail amid views of the rice paddies and valleys below. For some relaxation, head to the spa for a massage or herbal bath or take a dip in the infinity pool, which is surrounded by views of mountain peaks.

Now that you're reinvigorated meet your guide in the afternoon for a hike. This three-hour private excursion follows a quiet road above the rice terraces until you reach Lech village. Here you'll visit traditional wooden homes inhabited by the Red Dao people, a nomadic tribe that migrated from China to northern Vietnam centuries ago. You'll get to meet the locals and learn about their customs. The women, for example, wear bright, traditional garments, as the villagers are highly skilled at embroidery. Afterward, you'll pass more rice terraces and cross a suspension bridge on your way back to Topas Ecolodge.

After breakfast at the lodge, you'll leave on another hike to discover the wonders of Sapa. This five-hour private excursion begins at 8:30 am with a transfer deep into Hoang Lien National Park, which covers 169,437 acres (68,569 ha) of unspoiled highland landscapes. You'll arrive at the trailhead near Sin Chai village, and from there, head out on backcountry tracks amid beautiful views of mountains, waterfalls, and the deep valleys below.

The trail leads to Nam Nhiu, another Red Dao village. Upon arrival, you'll meet the villagers, visit a local home, and learn about their agrarian way of life. Eventually, you'll leave the village and follow a dirt trail along terraced rice paddies dotted with bamboo huts. Your next destination is Nam Cang village, where you'll enjoy a traditional lunch served at a riverside lodge. This is one of the most remote areas of Sapa, and after lunch, your guide will take you around to see how locals have been living much the same way for hundreds of years.

In the mid-afternoon, you'll meet a transfer vehicle for the ride back to Topas Ecolodge. You'll then have the rest of the day free to relax on the patio and/or book a spa treatment. It might interest you to know that the herbal treatments available at the spa utilize the same herbs and techniques that the ethnic inhabitants of the region have relied on for centuries.

In the morning, you'll check out of Topas Ecolodge and meet your driver for the six-hour scenic ride back to Hanoi and your hotel. Once there, you'll have the rest of the day free. If you like, wander the labyrinthine streets of the Old Quarter by foot or on a traditional cyclo (three-wheeled bike) as you pass temples, French colonial buildings, and Vietnamese "tube houses." These space-saving buildings can be as narrow as 6 feet (2 m) wide and 12 stories high.

Foodie Tour - Hanoi Train Street is available at your request. 

Today starts with a four-hour drive to Ha Long Bay Harbor, where you'll board a ship for your overnight cruise of this UNESCO-listed landmark. Sail across the paper-flat waters, taking in views of more than 2,000 limestone karsts steeped in Vietnamese legend. A delicious seafood lunch onboard awaits, followed by plenty of time to sit on the sundeck as you sail to the most remote corners of Ha Long Bay.

In the afternoon, you'll stop at a secret cove where you can go swimming and kayaking to explore hidden beaches and grottoes. The ship's expert chef will lead a cooking masterclass, teaching you how to make specialties such as nem (Vietnamese fried spring rolls) for dinner. You can spend the evening relaxing or join the locals for a spot of night fishing.

Wake early for breakfast on the ship's deck, watching the sun rise over the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, deemed one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. The morning is yours to simply absorb the view or join in with a tai chi class. You'll stop to visit a limestone cave full of stalagmites and stalactites before enjoying brunch on board while you sail back to the harbor.

Back on land, your driver will be waiting to take you to your hotel to check in again. 

Free at leisure until transfer to airport for flight back home. End of service!